21.08.2026 10:51
The 38th Bosphorus Intercontinental Swimming Race will be held in the Bosphorus in Istanbul on Sunday, August 23, with the participation of nearly 2,500 swimmers from 64 countries. In the race held last year, 29-year-old Russian swimmer Nikolai Svechnikov disappeared at sea, and his body was found five months later off the coast of Beşiktaş Kuruçeşme. This year, the Turkish National Olympic Committee increased security measures for the race. Şenol Güneş, President of the Turkish National Olympic Committee (TNOC), said, 'Our surface security measures are over 100.'
The 38th Bosphorus Intercontinental Swimming Race will be held in the Bosphorus, Istanbul, on Sunday, August 23, with the participation of nearly 2,500 swimmers from 64 countries. In last year's race, 29-year-old Russian swimmer Nikolai Svechnikov disappeared at sea, and his body was found five months later off the coast of Kuruçeşme, Beşiktaş. This year, the Turkish National Olympic Committee has increased security measures for the race. Şenol Güneş, President of the Turkish National Olympic Committee (TMOK), said, "Our water surface security measures exceed 100."
The 38th Bosphorus Intercontinental Swimming Race, organized by the Turkish National Olympic Committee (TMOK) this year, will be held in coordination with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Governorship of Istanbul, the Turkish Swimming Federation, and the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.
BODY OF MISSING RUSSIAN SWIMMER FOUND 5 MONTHS LATER In last year's race, which started in Kanlıca and ended in Kuruçeşme, Russian swimmer Nikolai Svechnikov went missing. In the race with 3,000 participants, teams conducted search operations in the Bosphorus after Svechnikov disappeared. The body, believed to belong to Russian swimmer Svechnikov, was found five months later on January 20, 2026, off the coast of Kuruçeşme, Beşiktaş.
The body, reportedly recovered from the sea with its integrity compromised, was sent to the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institute (ATK) Morgue for autopsy. After a swimmer's knee was shattered by a zodiac boat's propeller in previous years, and another swimmer died in the water due to a heart attack, security measures were increased for this year's race.
OVER 100 SECURITY MEASURES Following last year's incident, new measures have been taken for the safety of swimmers ahead of the 38th Bosphorus Intercontinental Swimming Race, scheduled for Sunday, August 23, with the participation of nearly 2,500 professional swimmers from 64 countries. In this context, buoys are being distributed to swimmers, and more than 100 water surface security elements, boats, referee boats, and guide boats will be on duty along the course. In the race, where Coast Guard teams, Coast Safety, and Marine Police will also be on duty, sea and land ambulances and health teams will be ready for potential emergencies.
PARTICIPANTS FROM 64 COUNTRIES, 2,500 ATHLETES Şenol Güneş, President of the Bosphorus Intercontinental Swimming Race Organizing Committee, said, "We have started our preparations today for the 38th Bosphorus Intercontinental Swimming Race organized by the Turkish National Olympic Committee. When you look at the race, it has been selected as the world's best open water swimming race. It is a competition organized in coordination with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Governorship of Istanbul, the Swimming Federation, and the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB). This Sunday, 2,500 athletes will swim. Our start is on August 23 at 10:00 AM. We will have participants from 64 countries; this number increases every year. This is an environment where swimmers experience a unique experience. We can call it the only thematic organization in the world where one swims between two continents, starting from Asia and finishing in Europe."
NEW MEASURES ADDED Güneş stated, "We have many differences this year. Looking at our measures this year, they will swim in a 6.5-kilometer area. We provide each swimmer with a buoy called a 'swim buoy' through the organization. All our swimmers participate in this organization with a license. We have over 100 boats for water surface security measures. It will be carried out with the organization of major institutions such as coast guard, coast safety, and marine police. There are boats on the course for swimmers, and we have referee boats. They will also mark milestones. We planned a race with a guide boat, which we call, so the leading swimmer can follow the route and finish it better. A very serious team is working on this. All of Istanbul's security elements and top managers are here entirely for this event; because this is one of Turkey's important organizations. We are ready for a beautiful and enjoyable event on Sunday. There is a sad situation from last year. Last year, our boat count was also high. This year, the 'swim buoy' was added for more safety. These were done upon requests. All measures here are for everyone's safety. Compared to last year, it is definitely an improved situation right now."
ATHLETES ARE INFORMED ABOUT CURRENTS IN THE BOSPHORUS Güneş said, "On race day, the air temperature is expected to be 27 degrees, and there will be a light northeasterly wind in the morning. This is very good weather for us. Currents in the Bosphorus can be in opposite directions and from different directions. We will conduct course introduction tours. We provide information about these currents through swimmer introduction videos, course introduction videos, and in the swimmer handbook. We go to Kanlıca with tour boats and convey to all swimmers what they need to do along that route. It is conveyed by experts in English, Russian, and Turkish. If you miss the current and the route, it can be difficult to return. After a certain point, we need to pick them up; because their return is impossible. We can take them out of the water with our water surface security elements and boats. Here, in our event area, we have a fully equipped health area. We have sea ambulances on the water. We have ambulances at land points. Interventions can be made here. If such a situation occurs, necessary measures have been taken."
"WE ARE ALL SAD FOR THE LOSS WE SUFFERED LAST YEAR" Swimmer Damla Güç, participating in the race, said, "This will be my third time swimming in the Bosphorus. I think it is a great experience and I am very excited about it. One of the hardest parts of swimming in the Bosphorus, I think, is determining our direction and catching the current. If you think you haven't caught the current, you might panic; but as long as you catch the current, it is a nice experience. I think the new security measures are very good. We are all sad for the painful loss we suffered last year. This year, the buoys will, I think, help us a lot in this regard."
"NEW MEASURES MAKE ME FEEL EVEN SAFER" Poyraz Anıt, a swimmer participating in the competition, said, "I have been swimming with a license for 8 years. This is my 2nd participation in the race; I am excited. New security measures have been taken. After the loss of the Russian swimmer last year, precautions were increased. As a new measure, swimmer buoys were distributed. I think these buoys will be beneficial. Especially in situations like cramps, stiffness, or fatigue, holding onto the buoy increases your chance to rest a bit. They increase your visibility in the water. They make it easier to communicate with the teams when you need support. There are fewer participants compared to last year. I believe it will be a more controlled race. I hope it will be a nice race. I hope there will be plenty of current. When we spoke earlier, they said the current is as strong as in the year the record was broken. As for the hardest part of swimming in the Bosphorus, you feel very alone. When the nearest shore is 200-300 meters away, you get overwhelmed alone in a spot that is 100 meters deep; you lose your sense of direction. These are particularly challenging things, but they are also very enjoyable. It is a proud activity that very few people do. This year, about 2,400 plus people are participating. The new security measures actually make me feel safer. Having the buoy this year has become even more important. I believe it will be beneficial," he said.